30% Reduction in CO2 Emissions Achieved with a Unified Plant Air-Conditioning and Production Facilities System Using Air-Conditioning Waste Heat for Product Preheating

Contributing to emissions reductions by making cascading use of groundwater for plant air conditioning and product cooling

July 6, 2010Takenaka Corporation

A new system has been developed by Takenaka Corporation (President: Toichi Takenaka), which provides air conditioning in plant facilities and the cooling of products in the production line, using only groundwater, and which converts the waste heat recovered from the air conditioning and the product cooling into the heat used for product preheating, without any cold heat source. This new system was used for the first time at the “Fuji-no-Yusui Plant 3” mineral water production facility which was completed in June 2010, in a national park located in one of the foothills of Mount Fuji. In this system, by unifying the plant air-conditioning facilities and the production line facilities, the same groundwater is used for the air conditioning of the entire building and is used again in steps (cascading use) to cool the products in the automated warehouse. This means that higher temperature waste heat water can provide highly efficient product preheating, and there is a reduction in the amount of groundwater being used.
The use of this new system in conjunction with the plentiful source of groundwater enabled a 30 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from the plant overall (about 90 percent reduction in the building facilities and about 17 percent reduction in the production facilities). This plant is expected to receive the highest ranking of "S" from CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency).

About the unified plant air-conditioning and production facilities system using air-conditioning waste heat for product preheating

【Explanation of the diagram】

A

Cooling for the entire plant and cooling for the products using groundwater which remains at about 10 degrees Centigrade all through the year.

B

To provide the entire building with the air conditioning and to cool the products (cascading use), groundwater is used and at the same time provides the high temperature waste heat water. By doing so, the amount of groundwater being used can be reduced.

C

The waste heat water generated during the building and product cooling is used for product preheating (waste heat recovery using heat exchange).

D

The thermally sterilized mineral water is filled in (the heating energy is reduced by the amount of waste heat recovered).

E

The groundwater used for the air conditioning is returned to the ground after the temperature has dropped after the product preheating.

<Outline of the system>

Background to the need for CO2 reductions during the production process

Regarding food manufacturing plants in recent years, according to strengthening of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and other sanitary management standards, there is a trend of rising CO2 emissions. Most CO2 emissions from ordinary plants are generated during the production process, and the reduction in CO2 emissions has become a problem. Using this system, groundwater has been used in steps for the air conditioning of the building and to cool the products without any cold heat sources. The waste heat has been used efficiently for product preheating before thermal sterilization. By using a system which addresses CO2 emissions not only from the building, but also from the production line, 30 percent reduction in CO2 emissions has been achieved, realizing an environmentally-friendly plant.

About the “Fuji-no-Yusui Plant 3”

Because this plant is located in a national park, the building has been designed with careful consideration to the environment. This includes preservation of the existing trees and greenery, an exterior appearance designed to be in harmony with the surrounding environment, the use of daylight, and the use of natural wind and ventilation.